Thursday, April 23, 2015

Could I BE more pleased?

From a fabulous review of Silver Skin here on The Bookbag site, I give you Jill Murphy's verdict -

Hooray! I've been thirsting for something a little bit different and I found it in Silver Skin. This story mixes sci-fi and historical fiction to spectacular effect. How would a person from a highly technological future cope in the Neolithic world? Could the vast differences in experience, culture and understanding ever be transcended? Could worthwhile relationships be made? Lennon explores these questions in typically lyrical form. I love the way she describes both landscapes and people and the emotions they feel. Both Rab and Cait are utterly credible characters and it's both fascinating and moving to watch them inch towards a friendship despite the vast gulf between them.

The picture of a technological future in which artificial intelligences support and guide human beings, in which races have blended and in which space is the premium currency, is a picture I can believe in. But I think the picture of Neolithic society has the bigger emotional pull. The remains of Skara Brae form Europe's most complete uncovered Neolithic settlement. What was life like there? How did its people see themselves? How did they survive? Lennon presents an entrancing picture of a hard life but one rich with meaning. The story is set in the weeks leading up to the end of its occupation. What happened? Did Skara Brae's people abandon it? Was there an extreme weather event? We don't know for sure, but Lennon gives us a credible interpretation.

It's original. It's interesting. It's imaginative. It's beautifully written. The plot is compelling. And it mixes science and the supernatural to great effect. I really liked Silver Skin. Can you tell?!